'In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.' (Robert Frost)

zondag 16 april 2017

Happy Bunny Moments

So finally it is Spring break and today we celebrate Easter. For those who do know me up, close and personal do know there is something about faith connected to my personality. Not that I will openly scream out my love for the saviour but I have been raised by parents who have given me the freedom to discover my own personal faith. Yes, today I do take the message of peace and hope very seriously. That the world out there at the moment seems to be rather tupsy turvey and that some world leaders have the tendency to be brain twisted and show their muscles I just at this point try to put into perspective.

This morning I put out on display all the delicously smelling and delightful looking Easter chocolate and P suddenly demonstrated this youthful smile. I even walked to a bakery to pick up some hot cross buns what surely added some more colour to our Easter breakfast. Stallie is in Spring modus and yes I do now and then still cross over to the dark side. P lately advises me to even cancel my Facebook account so that I can calm down. Yes, in a way he surely is right about that. Social media sometimes messes up my mind and can get me into the fringe. Still....

Now don't worry I am not going to dive once more into my brain that lately is constantly under attack. For the moment I am counting my blessing and I am fully aware that what I have already been given is so much worth than the things that all those things that are beyond my control. The last few weeks I have tried to zoom in rather than zooming out. As a result I at the present I am heading to the spot where zen does make sense. Oh yes, it does help that this weekend the newest trailer of the new Star Wars has been released. Yip, they killed my favorite character and I do daily mourn for him by staring with a nostalgic smile at the pop doll that is standing close to my office desk. That tiny doll helps me get through the most grey, rainy and dull days but also reminds me that at the end of ride we all end up in the same spot.

The last months I was forced to focus a bit more where I come from and this is always confrontating. Last Wednesday I did travel to the ancestral house of my family. Not sure how many people who can state that they can have a pint of lager in the place where once their grandparents raised his/her parents. My family is a very colorful collection of individuals and yes they are very honest with me when it comes down to my personality. 'You are not normal...', one of my beloved cousins told me and you know what I did not deny it. I did sip of my bitter lemon and did smile and felt at ease by what this person had just told me. That the whole place hangs full of memorabilia that even relate to my family did ofcourse made it even more intense. Many of the faces in the pics are not amongst us anymore but there smiles they showed in these smiles are a very strong reminder that the carpe diem spirit is a very strong in this family. The negative luggage that I carry aldong in my genes

Two days ago I did walk on the beach of Scheveningen while above my head there were seagulls were having a blast, the sound of waves sounded like the most wonderful concerto that Mozart composed, the air felt so fresh and the wind did lift up my hair. A was also having his time of his life by jumping up and down on a trampeline with in the background the sound of splashing waves of the North sea. I did sit there and my mind was completely blank and I was fully embracing all what I was given. Yes, I still miss certain people&thinggs and I still have specific dreams&wishes.

I am a restless soul and chances are very unlikely that I will end up in that one zone that Budhist rave about. The last few weeks I have been also concentrating on some music, art and books that have added some color to my grey and dull life. And because I am in a very genrous mode I am going to share a few things and artists with you that have added some magic to my life. At this moment I am calling them my happy bunny moments and for the sake of Easter I am very willingly sharing them with you the joy,the laughs, the happiness, the fun and much more happy moments I had while enjoying them.

1. Lindsey Sterling: a few weeks ago I did go all by myself to a concert of this fierce and very passionate violinst/dancer. The girl whose parents could only afford a 15 minute violin lesson and who could not make up her mind between playing this instrument or dancing ballet. She stays an enigma to me even after that concert. The passion, the drive and the sincerity she demonstrates while being on stage vibrates all over the place. Nope, she did not bring alond a whole orchestra or a troop of dancers. This lady manages to keep it rather low profile on stage but communicates everything by using an instrument and moving along on her own music. You envy her for that because it is the pover of music that she manages to live by. In case you wonder who I am talking about check her out.

2. Totoro: sounds a bit weird that word, doesn't it. Well, I first I did encounter him on my trip in Japan. We met up in a shop and I was so intrigued by him. I am talking about an animation character created by the renomated Hayao Miyazak. Unlikely that name will ring a bell but believe me it is such a delight to watch this movie. Not going to spoil it all for you by giving away too much details. Still this a gem when it comes down to animated movies. The story line is simple and very straightforward. I ordered the DVD online to make sure that I did not have to get my Japanese dictionary out constantly. It is certianly added some color to a very and rainy Friday evening and I now constantly rave about Hayao Miyazak who is a true master of Japanase story telling by images. If you do wonder and wish to find out more:

3. Binch watching Once Upon a Time: yeah I know, Netflix is so much more than DVD boxes but I still stick to bying them and I do get them out when I need to tackle wrinkled blue shirts! Being a big fan of fairy tales of all kinds I just do not get enough of the inhabitants of Storybrooke. Yes, I cheer on Hook that he will finaly be able to tame Emma who thinks that the happily efter can and will never be the ending of her own story. At the moment I am into season 4 where ice princesses and queens seem to have taken over the village. Certainly enough action to heaten up my iron. I still miss the sheriff/the huntsman Graham for some obvious and less obvious reasons.

4. La La Land: I loved the movie...I just loved every single second of it. Yes, some people did not admit very openly it was just not there thing but it certainly is my thing. Yes, I am a very big fan of the two actor who star in it. Every since I saw the movie Crazy Stupid Love I was graving for Gosling and Stoone reunited on the big white screen. The soundtrack is also a hit right between the eyes. That they did and then a few seconds did not got the Oscar for best picture made the news big time. For those who do wonder why I do cheer on Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling this short clip and I do hope that I then get the message across.

5. Liefde Voor Muziek: now this is a series on Belgian/Flemish television that puts 8 musicians together for a about a week and they have to perform each others song. In the beginning I had my serious doubts about the the whole concepts but then last year did a certain young adolescent by the name of Ian Thomas 'covered' a song by Dana Winner. I got goosebumps all over and I had to change my opinion about both artists because of that program. Last week the program kicked off for a new season and it already happened again. Isabelle A who I do not have such a high opinion of when it comes down to singing did last week something extra ordinary. She sang a very quiet version of a power song by Natalia that I scream along in the car when I need some girl power. What she pulled of is very impressive!

6. Classical music in general. And today I was blown away by Mahler. It happens more than once that music manages to do this this composer I don't consier that easy to listen to. There is even a certain modus operanti necessary to get my head around his notes. Seems that Easter Sunday is the perfect day to get into Mahler. Not that I had not tried to listen before to his compositions. Today while cleaning up the last crumbs of our Easter breakfast they were playing it over the radio. It was like I did discover something completely new. The composition itself is so interesting. In my ears I did hear so many things at the same time. Like I was walking through the mountains and came across green fields where mountain goats where enjoying the grass and then got to enjoy the imposing view from the top, then ran down hil to face gigantic waterfalls, and then ran into dancing people in long dresses at a royal court... guess my imagination can take me anywhere in the company of Mahler. Nothing more fitting to listen to on Easter Sunday that music that later on got named 'The Ressurection'!

I had even some more great happy bunny moments and there is one that I plan to write my next blog entry about. For now I wish you all a lovely Easter Sunday. In case you celebrate the day that Jezus left the dark side to show us the way to the light I wish you day filled up with hope! And to all those who do not share this belief I hope that the egg hunts or runs were very successful and that you did fill up your baskets with delicious and fun memories.

PS:In case you wonder what the picture is about and where you can find these then you might want to check out the folowing website (one of our favorite chocolate spots in Brussels and around Easter his shop is filled up with lovely creations) https://be.marcolini.com/?___from_store=be_fr&___store=be_en

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